Cauliflower Crust Hawaiin Pizza ~ Guest Post

We have a special guest here today with us.  My sister-in-law, Ellie!!  Ellie is a Weight Loss Coach who focuses on Low Glycemic foods.  She made a fabulous Cauliflower Crust Hawaiin Pizza.  Take it away Ellie!

 

 

I have never written a blog before.  Or really anything that has been put out for the public, so bear with me.  Let me introduce myself, my name is Ellie and I am the talented Dee’s sister-in-law.  I am far from a foodie, though I do like to eat.  Ironically, I am actually a Weight Loss Coach, so needless to say, many of the recipes Dee posts, though decadent I am sure, don’t quite fit with the Low Glycemic Impact lifestyle that I live and teach to my clients.

So, how did I come about to be a guest blogger??  I sent Dee a Low GI recipe I thought she would be interested in and she suggested I make it and write about it. Huh? Not really a fabulous cook, nor writer.  However, I am always up for a new challenge, so I said to myself, “what the heck”.

 
I will be the first to admit that my biggest challenge with Low GI eating for me is that I only like a limited variety of veggies.  Kind of why I sent her the recipe…cauliflower.  I HATE cauliflower. The taste, the texture, the SMELL. Everything.  But, she put it back on me.  Like I said, a challenge. So, I made it.

Cauliflower Crust Hawaiian Pizza
Yield: One 9 to 12-inch pizza (feeds 2 to 3 people)
Prep Time: 25 min

Cook Time: 18 min

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Ingredients for the Crust:

• 1/2 large head cauliflower (or 2+ cups shredded cauliflower)
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese (or try another kind!)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried minced garlic (or fresh garlic)
• 1/2 teaspoon onion salt

Ingredients for the Toppings: 

• 1/2 cup tomato-basil marinara sauce (or pizza sauce)
• 1/2 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 slices Canadian bacon, cut into strips
• 1/2 cup pineapple tidbits

Instructions: 

1.  Shred the cauliflower into small crumbles. You can use the food processor if you'd like, but you just want crumbles, not puree. **I found the mini processor to work best.**  You'll need a total of about 2 cups or so of cauliflower crumbles (which is about half a large head of cauliflower. Place the cauliflower crumbles in a large bowl and microwave them (dry) for 8 minutes (see Tips below if you do not have a microwave). Give the cauliflower a chance to cool.




2. Prepare the crust:  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a cookie sheet or pizza pan with nonstick spray (or use a nonstick surface). In a medium bowl, mix the cauliflower crumbles (about 1 1/2 cups since they shrink after cooking) with the remaining crust ingredients. Pat the "crust" into a 9 to 12-inch round on the prepared pan. Spray the crust lightly with nonstick spray and bake for 15 minutes (or until golden). Remove the crust from the oven and turn the heat up to broil.




3. Prepare the pizza: Spread the sauce on top of the baked crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese on top. Add the bacon and pineapple, spreading it out around the pizza. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Broil the pizza 3 to 4 minutes, or until the toppings are hot and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Cut into 6 slices and serve immediately. 

Cooks Notes:
Tips:  From Eat, Drink, Smile (tip from Beth): For those who don’t have a microwave: You can steam the florets just until they are tender (not mushy) on the stove and then let them cool before grating them. The texture/consistency won’t be the same (It will be more like a puree) but it still works fine once you mix all the ingredients together.

*Other topping ideas:
Marinara or pizza sauce with your favorite toppings
Pesto with thin sliced tomato and fresh mozzarella
Alfredo with sausage, mushrooms, Provolone & Asiago cheese
Barbecue sauce with shredded chicken, green onions and smoked gouda

*This pizza is best served on a plate with a fork.

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Nutritional Information per serving FOR THE WHOLE PIZZA- per slice:
Serving size: 1 slice
Calories per serving: 151
Fat per serving: 7.2g
Saturated Fat per serving: 4.1g
Sugar per serving: 3g
Fiber per serving: 2.2g
Protein per serving: 12.6g
Cholesterol per serving: 53mg
Carbohydrates per serving: 9.2g 

WW POINTS per serving:  Points Plus Program: 4 Old Points Program: 3
 
Nutritional info per serving for JUST THE CRUST- per slice (if you want to do your own toppings):
Serving Size: 1 slice (pizza cut into 6 slices)Calories 84, Fat 4.3g, Sat Fat 2.6g, Cholesterol 40.8mg, Sodium 166mg, Carbohydrates 4.6g, Fiber 1.9g, Sugar 0g, Protein 7.1g 

WW Points Plus: 2 Old Points Program: 2

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Source: RecipeGirl.com (inspired by and adapted from Eat, Drink Smile)

I was nervous when I took that first bite, but I was pleasantly surprised, it was pretty good.  I would warn you, don’t expect it to taste like pizza crust, the texture is different, but you really can’t taste the cauliflower.  My 5 year old even wolfed it down and had seconds!  

So, before I sent this off to Dee, I had to use up the rest of the head of cauliflower in my fridge, so I made myself another pizza for lunch today.  Can I just say, OMG!! This time instead of going the traditional route, I looked in my fridge to see what toppings I had.  Found some onions, green and red peppers and Mexican Cheese.  Well, I bet you can guess what I did! Grabbed me a can of refried beans and made me a Mexican Pizza!!  Ole!  Seriously, did I just eat cauliflower??  Cause I did not taste it. 

Next up, Buffalo Cauliflower “Wings”.  Maybe Dee will let me blog that one too!

This pizza looks fabulous!  I am so intrigued.  Thanks for sharing Ellie.  You are more than welcome to share your Buffalo Cauliflower "Wings"!